The Caregiver’s Guide to Veterans Benefits

[Pages:40]The Caregiver's Guide to Veterans Benefits

Information on benefits programs, eligibility requirements and applications for veterans and their family caregivers, dependents, and survivors.

Introduction

AgingCare extends its sincerest thanks to military veterans for their courage and selfless service to our country. Furthermore, we wish to acknowledge veterans' family members for their ongoing care and support.

Individuals who have risked their lives to serve and protect the United States of America and its citizens are entitled to a variety of benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Eligibility requirements vary, but many veterans (and their family caregivers) are entitled to some level of financial assistance or supportive services.

This guide will help shed light on VA programs that may assist in paying for longterm care services and burial arrangements. Additional benefits, such as VA health care and disability compensation, will not be covered in this guide.

To get started, review the following statements pertaining to fundamental eligibility requirements. All three must be true about you or the person in your care to receive benefits through the VA.

yy I am a veteran, a dependent of a veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran. yy I (or my related veteran) participated in full-time active military service other

than active duty for training as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, Environmental Science Services Administration or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or its predecessor, the Coast and Geodetic Survey. yy I (or my related veteran) was discharged from active military service under conditions other than dishonorable.

Keep in mind that factors like one's age, medical needs, financial status, disability status and enrollment in other benefits programs (Medicaid, Social Security, etc.) may affect eligibility for VA benefits.

The content in this guide is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for, or to be relied upon for, professional medical advice or professional financial, legal or tax advice. You should consult your medical and financial advisors in regard to your specific situation. Reliance upon any opinion or advice provided in this guide is at your own risk. Neither AgingCare, LLC nor any of its employees assumes liability or responsibility for damage or injury to person or property arising from any use of information or instruction contained in this guide.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Veterans Pension Programs Types of VA Pension Programs ............................................................................ 5 Pension Amounts ....................................................................................................... 14 How to Apply for VA Pensions .............................................................................. 18

Part 2: VA Burial Benefits Burial Options & Memorial Items for Veterans & Their Families ................. 23 Burial Allowances ...................................................................................................... 27 How to Apply for Burial Benefits .......................................................................... 30

Part 3: Additional Resources for Veterans & Their Families Important Tips for Filing VA Paperwork ............................................................. 36 Where to Get Help Applying for VA Benefits ................................................... 37

PART 1:

Veterans Pension Programs

In the first part of this guide, you will find a wealth of information on VA pension programs. These monetary benefits are awarded to financially needy wartime veterans and their surviving spouses to help cover the costs of living and long-term care services.

Highlights include:

yy Information on types of pensions available through the VA

yy Eligibility requirements

yy Ways to apply for VA pension

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Types of VA Pension Programs

Each year, over 1.5 million wartime service veterans and their surviving spouses are eligible for billions of dollars in VA pensions to help pay for living expenses and long-term care services, such as in-home care, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing care. Many families are not getting the benefits they are eligible for because they don't know there are programs available or how to apply for them.

There are three different types of VA pension programs available to veterans: the Veterans Pension, the Aid & Attendance Pension and the Housebound Pension. These benefits are stacked, so you must first be eligible for the Veterans Pension in order to qualify for the enhanced Aid & Attendance Pension or Housebound Pension, both of which have additional functional/health care requirements.

Various pension programs are also available to surviving spouses of eligible veterans.

The Basic Veterans Pension

This is a need-based program that provides eligible wartime veterans and their families with supplemental income. Tax-free funds are disbursed to eligible veterans each month and may be used however the recipients see fit. In addition to receiving a discharge other than dishonorable, there are several other requirements that a veteran must meet to qualify for this benefit.

Wartime Service Requirements

To be eligible for the basic pension, a veteran must have: yy Started on active duty before September 8, 1980, and served at least 90 days on active duty with at least one day during wartime, OR yy Started on active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions) with at least one day during wartime, OR

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yy Been an officer who started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and hadn't previously served on active duty for at least 24 months.

The VA recognizes the following wartime periods: yy Mexican Border period: May 9, 1916?April 5, 1917, for veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters yy World War I: April 6, 1917?November 11, 1918 yy World War II: December 7, 1941?December 31, 1946 yy Korean conflict: June 27, 1950?January 31, 1955 yy Vietnam War era: February 28, 1961?May 7, 1975, for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period; August 5, 1964?May 7, 1975, for veterans who served outside the Republic of Vietnam yy Gulf War: August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or presidential proclamation

Age & Disability Requirements

A veteran with qualifying wartime service must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

yy Be at least 65 years old, OR yy Have a permanent and total disability, OR yy Be a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, OR yy Be receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental

Security Income (SSI).

Financial Requirements

Because this is a need-based benefit for veterans with low income and limited assets, applicants must provide proof of their financial need. The VA looks at a veteran's net worth (assets plus annual income) to determine financial eligibility. For veterans who are married, a spouse's net worth is also counted.

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The VA uses Medicaid's maximum community spouse resource allowance (CSRA) as the bright-line net worth limit for need-based benefits like the Veterans Pension. Effective December 1, 2019, the net worth limit for the Veterans Pension is $129,094. Like Social Security benefits and the CSRA, a cost-of-living adjustment is made annually to the VA's net worth limit to ensure these numbers keep pace with inflation. Certain assets are not included in the VA's net worth calculation, such as an applicant's primary residence of any value (regardless of whether they currently live there, in a family member's home or in a long-term care facility) and an applicant's personal effects that are "consistent with a reasonable mode of life" (e.g. a car, household appliances, furniture). However, there is a two-acre limit on the size of the lot area upon which an applicant's primary residence is located. Any additional marketable acreage and properties are considered countable assets by the VA. The VA also enforces a separate annual household income limit. As with assets, certain sources of income (detailed in the table on the next page) are not included in the VA's calculation. A veteran's countable income (plus that of any dependents) must be less than a limit set by Congress called the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR). The payment amount a veteran receives is based on the difference between their MAPR and their household's annual countable income. Unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed five percent of the applicant's current base MAPR can be used to reduce their countable income and net worth. At first glance, an applicant may appear to have excessive income and assets, but if he or she is very ill or requires extensive care, these medical expenses can greatly reduce his or her net worth. Factoring in high health care costs allows veterans in need to qualify financially for benefits like the basic pension.

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VA Income & Expense Classification

Sources Counted as Income

yy Wages

yy Social Security Retirement Benefits

yy Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

yy Inheritance

yy IRA & 401(k) Withdrawals

yy Interest & Dividend Payments from Annuities

yy Gifts of Stock or Property

yy VA Compensation

yy Gambling Winnings

yy Income from Eligible Dependents

Sources That DO NOT Count Towards Income

Deductible Expenses (Must exceed 5% of MAPR)

yy VA Pensions (A&A and Housebound)

yy Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

yy Medicaid Payments

yy Contributions from Non-Profits

yy Family Assistance

yy Respite Care

yy Life Insurance Payments or Cash Surrender Value

yy Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses

yy Home Modifications

yy Medicare Premiums

yy Medicare Supplemental Insurance Premiums

yy Transportation Costs

Deductible medical expenses can include a wide variety of products and services that most would not normally consider. For instance, incontinence supplies, medical alert devices, and the cost of transportation to and from doctor's appointments are all legitimate deductions as long as the veteran pays for them out of pocket and is not reimbursed. Home care, home health care and adult day care services are also fully deductible. However, these deductible medical expenses must amount to more than five percent of the veteran's base MAPR to begin reducing their countable

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